Question

An architect for a golf course wants to plan a sand trap that passes between a tree and a cart path. Using these as the focus and directrix, how can the architect plan a parabolic sand trap that will be equidistant from the tree and the cart path at all times? Describe your method in full sentences.

Answer 1

sometimes these questions are poorly worded, so im trying to get it

Answer 2

@campbell_st

Answer 3

@ParthKohli

Answer 4

A parabola is a locus of points equidistant from a point and a line.

Answer 5

The point here is the focus and the line here is the directrix.

Answer 6

find the focal length, it is half the perpendicular distance from the focus to the directrix..

then assume the vertex is at the origin then the equation is

\[x^2 = 4ay\]

Answer 7

@SolomonZelman can you help?

Answer 8

or using 2 tape measures... 1 from the focus(tree) and 1 thatis perpendicular from
the directrix(cart path),

mark a series of points that are equidistant

that's a property of the points that make a parabola...